‘ oh , i’m sure ! i don’t know much about dogs , but i’ve heard terriers are little hell raisers . ’ she can’t help but laugh out loud when she hears the dog’s name , quickly clapping a hand over her mouth to muffle the unintentionally boisterous sound . ‘ that’s funny . your sister sounds clever ! i have twelve cats , most of them are named after historical figures i find interesting . with the exception of congress , of course , and amelia mignonette thermopolis renaldi . —- i know it sounds like i’m a crazy cat lady . i really have no defense for that . ’ a sheepish grin spreads across her face , and she leans towards the bag to speak to the cat . ‘ you hear that , congo ? you’re cool ! ’
twelve cats seems excessive for anyone but somehow sylvia fit the part. as she riddles off amelia’s full name, ethan finds a grin to rest on their lips. “a defense would only be needed if it was viewed as a bad thing.” not inherently. ethan was a strong advocate for doing what felt right and if that was something sylvia enjoyed about her life, why bother trying to defend against it? “i think it’s cool you got so many cats-- do they ever bother you or are you at peace with their chaos?”
who: open @moorbrookestarters
where: one of the cafes in town
Haru wasn’t much of a coffee drinker, but every now and then he needed it. Between his day job and the occasional fight side job, it was a wonder he was able to survive most days without caffeine in his system. “Thanks,” he mumbled as he accepted the to go cup the barista offered, a sigh escaping his lips as he noticed the name scrawled across the side. “Harry,” he grunted. Naturally. It wasn’t the first time the mistake had occurred and it probably won’t be the last, he knew, but it still annoyed him. “Guess it could be worse.”
it very well could be worse. ophion perks up at the name, knowing damn well his name wasn’t harry. “the abuse we take,” they remark playfully. “i said ophie once, thinking it would be easier and they spelled it o-a-f-y.” the smile that sits on glossy lips is quite the sarcastic one. “you know, i’ve never thought of my nickname like that until i saw it.” they’d say it was ruined, but that would be a lie. they love their name, including their nickname despite the implication. “just know you’re not alone.”
OPHION “OPHIE” KARANI ( THEY/SHE ) is a NONBINARY, THIRTY-NINE year old UNIVERSITY DEAN who has been living in Moorbrooke for THREE YEARS. They were born on SEPTEMBER FOURTH and right now, they are currently residing in ELMSETT GREEN. It has been said that they look suspiciously like LUPITA NYONG’O and if they had to choose a song to describe themselves, they would choose DIFFERENT KIND OF WORLD by MAGGIE ROGERS.
name: ophion karani
nicknames: ophie
age: thirty-nine
date of birth: september fourth
height: 6′0″ / 183 cm
gender: nonbinary woman (they/she)
signs: virgo sun, scorpio rising, leo moon.
sexuality: bisexual
hometown: ottawa, canada.
occupation: university dean
living situation: alone in an apartment in elmsett green
pinterest board: TBD
meet my headstrong babe, ophion. they were originally created for my own universe, a mythical pantheon series i’m writing, and in it they’re the god of fortitude and honorable war. i wanted to bring her to moorbrooke and humanize her, see what kind of human they’d be, and if they’d develop a real personality that isn’t based around keeping humans safe.
cw: spouse death
married at 22 to a man who loved her to her core, ophion was a pretty goal oriented young adult. they graduated with a bachelor’s in sociology just after their wedding and they moved into a new house together six months afterwards. ophion became the principal at a middle school in ottawa and it’s when she fell in love with the job. there were mini wars between cliques and groups that were very interesting to her. the way groups of people fought always piqued ophie’s interest. they ended up writing and publishing a dissertation on the way warlike behavior occurs in every community eventually.
eight years into her marriage, her husband contracted dengue fever and passed away. this left ophie in shambles. their world crumbled and they spiraled. their behavior became erratic and they would do just about anything to feel something. this was their intense era; it lasted a few years before she centered and honed in their love for community and education. they became the dean of students at the university of ottawa and that last a couple years before she realized she had to move. everything reminded her of her late husband.
moorbrooke was looking for a university dean and ophion had always wanted to live in maine. she applied, things went smoothly, and she moved to the states. it was a perfect fit. she’s been here since.
lil tidbits about ophion
when her sweater vest is on, they’ve got one thing on their mind and it’s being professional. the relationships she makes on campus in her said getup is and always will be as professional as they come. this isn’t to say ophion isn’t personable. in fact, they’re rather hospitable and warm to say the least.
on the side, ophion is an personal trainer. they don’t typically pick up new clients, though, and has been operating out of riptide since they moved to moorbrooke. while not ripped, ophie does at least look the part.
an actual mother figure to most people in her life, which she is so okay with.
tries to practice sobriety but will occasionally have a drink or smoke socially.
can be seen as forthright, but it’s never ill-intended.
puts a lot of focus into both sports and arts as dean.
typically has a good relationship with their professors and likes to say they’ve hand picked their faculty and have love for every single person that works on campus.
after three years of being the dean, they feel like they’ve got a good handle of things and prides their decisions around campus.
“what? really?” ryan asked, unable to hide his shock. he hadn’t really expected ethan to entertain the thought of them going on a date, in fact he was ready for the gentle let down, now he suddenly felt extremely nervous. “that’s awesome! i..okay, um..” he clears his throat a bit, trying to smooth out his shirt and jacket as much as possible, now ryan wishes he had dressed up a little nicer, “i’m sorry if i’m a little awkward. i..haven’t been on a date in a long time,” he admits, lightly laughing. “i’m really looking forward to it.” ryan reaches to take one of ethan’s hands in his, lacing their fingers together, giving it a gentle squeeze. “what time will you be off work? i could come by then, if you’d like. or we could meet there. whatever you’re more comfortable with.”
the sudden hand holding was a surprise to ethan, but it wasn’t unwelcome. they look to their interlaced fingers, a sense of security washing over them. ethan knew ryan only from the store, but this feeling was new. first date jitters? hardly. it felt safe. “i’m sorry if i’m a little awkward-- i’m just awkward.” they joke, based in fact. “thankfully, i’m off in twenty minutes. it’d be really cool if i could get a ride from you, actually, then i don’t have to uber to keep you--” and there’s a gentleman who clears his throat, standing at the register. startled, ethan heads over, calling over their shoulder, “don’t leave yet.”
CECILY HAD GLANCED AT HER PHONE , momentarily , but draws her attention away from it when ethan speaks , a grin crossing her face . “ and here i thought you were just humouring me because you can’t escape me when i come in , ” cecy teases . “ i always thought i should ask to hang out , but then i never want to overstep , since you’re at work and i’m awkward and worry about that . been here three years and i’m still just as bad about making new friends . ” she grins . “ when were you thinking ? ” she asks .
“no-- we have great banter and i think it could be interesting to have boundless conversation with you.” ethan’s probably a bit too honest. “don’t worry about being bad at making friends. i’ve heard some crazy statistic about how the smartest people had no friends and that gets me by.” they divulge, almost too eagerly. if ethan is anything, it’s honest and eager. the idea that someone would really want to hang out only filled them with a joy they hardly felt. “well, i’m off in twenty minutes if you’re free.”
‘ ethan ! pleasure to meet you . oh , my pronouns are she/her . and congo’s are he/him . ’ she hopes that comes off as intended , reassuring rather than flippant . ‘ not a cat person , huh ? do you have any pets ? ’ her therapist says she uses the cats as a means to connect with people : but what’s wrong with that ? it’s the sweetest conversation starter sylvia can imagine . and the kid seems so …. nervous . antsy ? she doesn’t really know . ‘ —– if he’s making you uncomfortable , i can be on my way ! my feelings won’t be hurt , i totally get it . ’
the acceptance radiates from sylvia. they immediately feel more understood in her presence than even at home. they want to thank her but don’t want to make a big deal out of it. it’s reassuring to hear someone accept the introduction every time it happens. “i don’t-- i mean, like, uh-- my sister has a jack russell and that thing has the energy of an atomic bomb, i’m sure. his name is jetson because he can jet, son.” it’s funnier when their sister says it. their eyes turn to congo, shaking their head. “no, no. he’s fine. i really don’t mind. he-- he’s cool.”
Admittedly, Charlene was excited too. Not only for shakes and spooky times. Getting to know Ethan sounded like an adventure in and of itself. “Oh yeah, I think I remember you say you were from Portland. Did you grow up there?” She asked, placing the her apron and the last bit of her supplies away. “Right? Honestly Maine is a kind of different vibe. I grew up in New Orleans and like, there are streets where you can practically see the haunted energy. Maine, you kind of have to go digging a little. So lucky for you…” She assumed a super hero stance, placing both hands on her hips before shrugging one shoulder to the side with a grin. “You just bagged yourself a hell of a tour guide! Please hold your applause to the end, tips are not required but sure are appreciated. We accept payment in the form of cash , grass, or shakes. ” She gave a cheeky wink at that last bit before gesturing towards the door. “If you look to your left, you will find… our exit! Lets go!”
“born and raised,” they say, eyes scanning the books behind and around charlene. portland was home, and they would often get homesick even just thinking about it. while they only had a couple good friends at school, especially after the attacks, there was something so sweet about portland. they’ll move back there one day, they figure, a sense of incompletion powering the decision. “it’s a beautiful city.” for now, though, moorbrooke had their full attention. charlene seeming so excited to show the scariest parts of moorbrooke to ethan only made them feel more welcome. five years and nothing to show for it; time to change that. “let’s go!” the excitement is written all over ethan’s face. they have a hard time hiding just how intrigued they were with charlene’s haunted expertise. they leave driftwood books and once outside, ethan looks back to charlene and asks, “well, first seashakes, but where’s the first spooky destination?”
He noticed them fix their posture and for a moment Demir thought they were just going to come out and confirm his accusation. When they didn’t, Demir frowned again. Only this time it was more out of confusion than anything. “Really? You’re saying you don’t want to take me to the back and ravish me? Am I not your type or something?” He was messing with them now. Honestly he just couldn’t believe anyone would have such an innocent reason to want to spend time with him. “No bag.” he grabbed the book, tucking it under his arm. Demir took a moment look Ethan up and down, almost as if he was sizing them up. “What time do you get off? I don’t like shakes, but I can never say no to a drink. Are you… old enough to drink? ”
a blush takes not abnormally red cheeks. it doesn’t take much to get ethan to blush, but this was immediate. “no-- i wouldn’t like to do that.” their voice is monotonous, hoping to come across as sure. it would be a lie, however, if they said demir wasn’t their type. he was terrifyingly handsome, but that wasn’t the goal here. there was something about interacting with demir this time that felt more personal. ethan could feel him evaluating them, taking their entire build into account before blindly accepting a friendly outing. they consciously keep the straighter posture, feeling like they were being tested. “uhh-- i’m off in twenty minutes. i-- how old did you think i was?” but before demir can answer, ethan admits, “i’m twenty-three, dude.”
that was an awful long pause ! penny can’t help the smirk that curves her lips when ethan finally spits out an answer . ‘ if you say so . ’ her tone is so uncharacteristically agreeable that it should be pretty clear she doesn’t believe them . i think you’re interesting . yeah , sure . pen firmly believes there is no such thing as innocent interest : how can she ? how many friendships has she lost because someone found her a little too interesting , got a little too close & had to suffer her midas touch ? penny pulls a handful of singles out from her vivienne westwood wallet & drops the bills on top of her new book . ‘ can you just , like , chill out for a sec ? jesus . we’re doing nourish instead . seashakes is overrated . ’
when asked to chill out for a sec, ethan can’t mask the severe eye roll. they were relatively relaxed, considering how much they could freak out. there was a moment that they regretted getting bold enough today to ask penny to seashakes only to be told they were overrated. embarrassed, it hardly registers that this means she’s saying yes. “nourish-- the vegan place?” not that they mind. “alright, i’m down. like-- thanks. thank you. when did you-- when are you free?” they want to pipe in, say they were hoping after their shift ends in twenty minutes but they need to hide how eager they are to do something with someone.
felicity has always been an avid reader . it provided some level of escapism to her as a child , having grown up in such a stifling household . when she was young , she read & read & read : shaping not only her view and opinion of the world , but her speech as well . a bit more formal than most sometimes , though she hardly seems to notice . driftwood books is one of her favorite haunts these days , on the occasions she can pull herself away from the theater . felicity swears she could spend days wandering the aisles , running slender fingers over the spines of all the stories . she’s made small talk with the bookstore clerk a few times , even introduced them to orion on the occasions she’s brought the doberman along with her . even so , ethan’s voice catches her off guard . she even glances over her shoulder for a split second to make sure they were actually speaking to her . ‘ me ? ’ have to double check : it would be humiliating if not . she titters out a laugh at their overexplaining . ‘ oh , ethan , you’re such a peach . don’t worry , i know you’re not flirting . i would love to go to seashakes —- or , if you’d rather , we could walk the boardwalk & play some games ? in the evenings when it’s not so hot , it’s rather nice . especially with all the lights …. ’ besides , there are 150 calories in even the healthiest of green smoothies . felicity would rather avoid it entirely if possible .
relieved that felicity knew they weren’t trying to be a creep, ethan stands up straighter and more confident. although their suggestion isn’t shot down with another, merely suggested, ethan knows felicity is just being thoughtful. of what, perhaps ethan might not fully grasp, but they’ll work with her. “i mean, that sounds like fun. i don’t think i’ve been to the boardwalk since i first moved here.” which opens a moment for ethan to be sentimental on the first month or so of moving to moorbrooke. their mother was so adamant about getting to know the city, feel it’s essence, and move forward and away from portland. they all had such a sour taste in their mouths after the attacks that learning a new city proved to be a nice distraction from the trauma that loomed very close overhead. their family wasn’t great at confrontation of emotions, and they would much rather pretend what happened in portland didn’t happen at all. ethan knew that night on the boardwalk, when they saw the lights reflect in their mother’s eyes, they’d have to pretend they hardly remembered their life before moorbrooke, just to protect her. “you gonna kick my ass at any of those games?” they eye the clock behind felicity and accept their shift was over in twenty minutes. they wish they could leave with felicity now.
ryan’s gaze slowly drifts from the book he was looking down at over to where ethan stood, brows furrowing in slight puzzlement as he listened to the other speak. he was confused why ethan suddenly seemed a bit nervous when speaking to him because he felt that by now the two had established a sort of friendship, but at hearing them mention too afraid to make friends, it was clear to ryan that perhaps they hadn’t quiet been on the same page. “i thought we were friends,” he admits, offering a warm smile. he puts the book back onto the shelf before turning to face them entirely, one hand coming up to rub the back of his neck a bit, “i mean, what if i….want it to be a date? would that still be okay?”
they run their hand along the shelf subconsciously, fidgeting with anything at the contemplation that ryan not only considered them friends, but would want a date with them. fingers tap the wood of the shelf, nearing a book, absentmindedly flicking it’s spine. it was so easy for ethan to have casual conversation about books at work, especially books they’ve read. it happens that ryan would always pick a book that ethan had already read. it seems like ryan might have a point. it was always so easy to talk to him. “uhh-- no, like, that’s-- i guess that’s okay. that’s cool, yeah.” but why was now so difficult? they can feel their heart racing, hands getting sweaty. maybe a part of ethan did want it to be a date.
kylan didn’t always frequent drifwood books, but he was known to frequent it if he saw ethan working behind the counter. what could he say? he was a sucker for a pretty face, not to mention, ethan had a wit that seemed to match their own and their energy was magnetic. “you’re so fuckin’ cute, you know that?” ky softly scoffs, crookedly grinning, “i’d love to go to seashakes with you. whether it be a date or not.” there’s a pause before he asks, “do you want it to be a date, e? you’ll have to let me know so i can at least change into something a bit nicer. i like to nice when i go on dates, not that i go on them often.”
when kylan told them they were so fuckin’ cute, a light blush takes their features. a look they’re not unfamiliar with, having gotten flustered easily on many occasions before. interactions weren’t something that came easily to ethan and they would rather be silent, coast through life unknown and hardly thought of. they woke up today and decided it would be different. a part of them wanted to become familiar with being familiar with others. this outright flirtation from kylan, though, knowing damn well they weren’t intending on it going this way, brings ethan into even more unknown territory. “uh-- you look great now, you know? but-- it’s not a date. at least, that wasn’t the plan. do you-- do you want it to be a date?”
‘ no , don’t feel like you have to move ! it’s totally fine . ’ all she needed was the assurance the other wasn’t gonna choke & die if she sat next to them ! anything else , she can work with . sylvia sits , pulling the bag around to sit on her lap . ‘ this is congress , but his friends call him congo . he works part time at my cat cafe , so he meets a lot of strangers . he’s a sweetie . ’ the smush - faced orange cat seems pretty indifferent to the person sitting beside her , but honestly that’s just a cat being a cat . ‘ see , you passed the vibe check . i’m sylvia , by the way . ’
startled by the smushed face, but intrigued by the name, ethan cants their head to the side to observe the cat more closely. when he hardly pays them any mind, ethan lets out a breath they had no idea they were holding. “uhh-- well, alright, congo.” passing a vibe check was not a familiar practice for ethan, but they accept it nonetheless. no sense in denying that the cat surely didn’t mind ethan’s presence. “i’m ethan. my, uh, pronouns are they/them.” it has become such a part of introducing themself to skip being misgendered in order to open up a window. it’s a practice they should have been using since they came out, but fear of retaliation kept them at bay.
“Ethan, you are literally like, so cute!” Charlene couldn’t help but giggle at their meek invitation. “Let’s do it! You’re paying right? Date or not, it’s only polite since you asked! Has anyone given you a proper tour of Moorbrooke yet?” As she rambled on, she began to put her painting utensils away. While she was painting, her focus was primarily on the canvas. She did however, recalled seeing them hanging out in the horror section of the bookstore often but she hadn’t had a chance to ask them if that was something they were into. Now seemed a good a time as any so as she began to untie her apron, she flashed them a curious look.
“How about a spooky tour?”
they immediately light up. watching her as she packed up her painting supplies and getting excited for time spent with charlene outside of the store, ethan happily tapped their fingers against the counter. “uhh-- nah. i spent a lot of time walking all around but i know i’ve missed some places. i would love a haunted tour. what’s up with this place? i mean--” and they look around, ominously, as if someone from portland would be around. “shit is scary old in portland. maine is just, like,” they lean against the counter, hip jutted out. “old.”
Demir stood, dumfounded by what exactly they meant by ‘banter’. The boxer wasn’t exactly a pleasant man to be around. He could have sworn he must have told the kid to fuck off one or twice ( then again, who hasn’t he done that to? ) “Nah, don’t be fucking shy. Are you sure you’re not hittin’ on me?” That was the only plausible explanation he could think of why anyone would wanna spend time with him. Outside of fucking and fighting, Demi was known to be shit company. With a sniff, he placed down the book titled ‘First-Aid Guide for the Domestic Rabbit’ on the nearby counter and then crossed his arms across his chest, frowning at them as if he was daring them to again. “Speak with your chest, kid.”
ethan watches the adverse reaction in blank faced horror. this was the exact opposite of how they wanted to be received. when told to speak with their chest, ethan subconsciously stands upright, fixing their posture and attempting to look bigger. their frail body doesn’t do them justice, though, and they end up slowly sinking back down. “no-- i swear. i wasn’t--” but they know the defense wouldn’t help. asking a grown man to seashakes when you look like ethan would definitely come off a little suspicious. “i just think you’re really cool-- i didn’t think it through, though. i’m sorry. i should, like, uh-- like, knew my place.” they take the book, scanning it, and sighing. “do you want a bag?”
“Seashakes?” Santiago repeated, pausing as he looked through the spines on the bookshelf. The energy was different with Ethan today, and he couldn’t figure out what was bothering them. He zeroed in on the name of his place of work, breezing obliviously past the rest of it. “Oh, awesome, you wanna visit? I, like, work there. Part-time kinda thing. So all you gotta do is drop in, I can give you a shake on the house. Go for something chocolate, it’s popular so the syrup’s less likely to be expired.”
a shake on the house was tempting, and it completely slipped their mind that santiago worked at seashakes. it came back to them the second he asked if they wanted to visit. a passing conversation about work and santiago mentioned seashakes. “right--” they say, registering the fact finally. “it’s just syrup-- aren’t workplace dates just safe dating? i mean-- i’d probably still use my vanilla torani well after thirty days if i didn’t go through it in a week.”
annaxmalina
2087
izzy806
pixelskylines
baratheonpilled
dededos
kaledo-art
romaincrisis